336 EEV. T. K. H. STEBBING 0:N" ZOOLOGICAL IS'OMEJfCLATUEE. 



people, to have the proper pronuuciation indicated by some 

 accentual mark, as Chenalopex, Callisoma, Rhizostoma. TKe use 

 of the letter h in such names as Ancistrodon and Cdrcinus is 

 rather to be commended than deprecated. In the transcription 

 of other Grreek words the use of the letter 1i to represent the 

 aspirate may be desired but should not be enforced, and the 

 representation of the diphthongs ei and ov by the same letters 

 in the Latin alphabet, if not enforced, should at least be legalised. 

 A rule which leads to such a form as Mohiusi, and which 

 rests apparently on a distinction between Latin down to the 

 close of the eighteenth century and later Latin, carries its own 

 condemnation. 



4. The common practice of printing generic and specific names 

 in italics is open to the objections that this character is less 

 easy to read than E-oman type and does not wear so well. It is 

 suggested that some other distinctive type, which is not open to 

 these objections, should be recommended. 



5. A recommendation following article 36 of the International 

 Eules implies that caeruleus and coeruleus, silvestris and syl- 

 vestris, littoralis and Utoralis, autumnalis and auctimmalis may 

 be held valid for pairs of species in the same genus. That would 

 be very objectionable, seeing that these are only alternative 

 spellings of the very same words, not at all comparable with 

 such pairs as jluvialis and Jluviaticus, sinensis and sinicus, 

 ceylonicus and zeyJonicus, words of the same meaning but per- 

 fectly distinct formation. 



6. In reference to article 21 of the International Eules, the 

 question arises whether for the future some rule might be formu- 

 lated by which an author's claim to priority for new names of 

 genera and species should rest, not unconditionally on date of 

 publication, but on the date of reasonable publication. In 1885 

 Sarato published a new genus and species Ligur Edioardsii in 

 ' Le Moniteur des Etrangers,' a weekly journal at Nice (see 

 Senna, Bull. Soc. Ent. Ital. vol. xxxiv. p. 319, 1903). But, apart 

 from scientific work published in an unsuitable medium, the 

 rule in giving validity to a name published " in connection with 

 an indication " seems vague and open to abuse by ignorant or 

 even mischievous persons. 



